Roller suspension for a cabinet drawer



Feb. 10, 1959 H. E. HUTZELMAN ROLLER sUsPENsIoN RoR A CABINET DRAWER Filed Jan. 6, 1955 4 l u I l f 1 I l l l l I H 1 l l l 1 l l l 1 l l l l l l n l m w m m ATTORNEY ROLLER SUSPENSION FOR A 'CABINET DRAWER Howard E. Hutzelmau, Corry, Pa., assignor to Corry- Jamestown Manufacturing Corporation, Corry, Pa., a corporation of New York Application January 6, 1955, Serial No. 480,257

2 Claims. (Cl. 30S-3.8)

This invention relates to an improvement in suspensions for cabinet enclosed drawers and more particularly to `structure that provides substantially friction free operation.

It has long been a problem, in the manufacture of cabinets containing sliding drawers, to provide slides or suspensions that were of simple structure and operated smoothly and quietly over a long period of time. Multiple rail or ytrack suspensions of the progressive type are known to function smoothly and easily under substantially all conditions of use, but are also known to be generally noisy. Also, such multiple part suspensions are costly to manufacture and install and are principally intended for use in multiple drawer filing cabinets wherein extremely heavy loads in a drawer are contemplated. Some of the more simple drawer slides, although inexpensive to manufacture, are not designed to support a drawer in a manner to assure smooth, easy, and noiseless operation.

The invention, in its present form, discloses a suspension for a drawer that consists of channels secured to the sides of the cabinet, drawer tracks on the sides of the drawer, and rollers interposed between and transferring the drawer load fromthe tracks to the channels. No intermediate rail channel, or other moving part, other than the rollers, is required. These rollers, mounted both on the `channels and drawer rails, constitute, by their structure, location, and arrangement of operation, the principal subject matter of the invention.

It is an object of the inventionto provide a simple, easily assembled suspension for cabinetv drawers that will function throughout a long period of use.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a drawer suspension that, due to the nature ofthe rolling parts, is substantially silent in operation.

A further and most `important object of the invention lies in the provision of rollers that transfer the weight from the drawer to cabinet carried channels, the rollers including resilient traction portions for this purpose.

Another and further object of the invention lies in the provision of drawer suspension rollers that include traction material on the rolling surface by which to at all times assure rotation of the rollers during movement of the drawer and under all drawer load conditions.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from a consideration of the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view `of a cabinet in which a drawer is supported by a roller suspension embodying one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the drawer in an extended position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, vertical transverse sectional view showing details of one of the rollers mounted on the cabinet channel, being taken substantially as suggested by the line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

2,873,150 `Patented Feb. 10, 1959 BCC Fig. 4'is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing one of the rollers carried by the drawer rail, this view 'being taken substantially as indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary sectional view of one of the rollers other parts, being in section, and shows the resilient ring to be the only portion of the roller in traction contact with a ange of the channel;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 and shows the resilient ring of the roller as compressed under a drawer'load condition;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side View showing one of the rollers as itappears in Fig. 5, and

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing a roller as t it appears under a load in Fig. 6.

The rollers by which the drawersuspension shown is enabled to function easily and without noise andunder all drawer load conditions, each includes a resilient ring or rim on the rolling surface of the roller for the purpose of providing traction as between the drawer track and cabinet channel. The ring of the roller provides a fric` tion surface which functions under all conditions of use to cause rotation of the roller, thus assuring the rollers constant usefulness a's anti-friction means between the drawer and the cabinet.

Attention is particularly directed to the drawing wherein the reference numeral 10 is employed to designate a cabinet. The cabinet may be of any conventional structure and, for the purpose of thepresent disclosure, is stated to include side walls 11. Attached to each side wall, along the base thereof, is a channel 12. The side flanges 13 of this channel extend inwardly from the wall 11 in a horizontal plane. The rear end 14 of each channel is provided with means for engaging it with the cabinet wall and, at their `forward ends, the ilanges 13 are straightened to form upper and lower continuations in the plane of the channel base wall, substantially as indicated at 16. The lower portion 17 of thecontinuation 16 mounts a roller 18. In the present embodiment of the invention, the roller is `shown to be formed from a plastic material such, for example, as nylon. However, the material from which the roller is produced does not control its successful operation but possibly only the degree of quietness of operation.

Secured to the side and bottom of the drawer is a rail 19. This rail includes a horizontally extending flange 21 which is utilized, under certain conditions of operation of the drawer, as a track. This rail extends some-` what beyond the rear end of the drawer and includes an upstanding ange 22 `which is in the plane` of that portion of the rail attached to the drawer. side. Carried by this portion of the rail is a further roller 18. Thus, it will be noted that the forward end of each channel 12 carries a roller 18 and the rear end of each drawer rail 19 mounts a roller 18.

The roller 18 is formed with a load carrying area 23 that is bounded on one edge by a radially extending ange 24. This ange includes an inclined surface 26 that is of importance in operation of the suspension to the extent that it serves to eliminate drawer chatter by providing a sloped surface for contact with one of the llanges 13 of the channel 12, or the rail ange 21, should the drawer, during manipulation, have a tendency to lateral twisting due to manufacturing tolerances, or presence of foreign matter. At the other edge of the load carrying surface 23 is a groove 27 which receives an elastomeric ring 28.

The cross sectional diameter of this ring is such that it projects considerably beyond the load surface 23 and thus, as is intended, the ring contacts one of the channel flanges 13 or the rail flange 21.

The purpose of the ring 28 is to provide traction as between the rail flange 21 and one of the channel flanges 3 13 in order to cause the rollers to rotate under all conditions of operation. It has been found that the tracks or channels in suspensions of this general type invariably have material or workmanship imperfections, such, for example; as varying` thickness of material, plane unevenness, and rough unfinished' edges. Additionally unevenness in these surfaces may occur by reason of paint blisters or the accumulation, over a period of time, of dust or other foreign matter. Regardless of the cause of the unevenness of the track or channel flanges the result isr noisy operation of the suspension. It has also been found, even in the use of non-metallic rollers, that after a period of disuse the rollers have a tendency to stick and fail to rotate about their axles. It is clear that any protracted operation of the suspension, under such conditions, would produce one or more flattened surfaces on the load carrying flanges.` Thus, regardless of how quietly non-metallic rollers might originally operate, it has occurred that such rollers, upon being slightly flattened, not only fail to provide the required ease of operation, but arev noisy beyond practical commercial value.

The `inclusion and use of a traction ring is of great importance in that such a ring, regardless of the weight of the contents of a drawer, will always have frictional contact with the track or channel flanges. Should a drawer contain little or no materiahit is apparent that the ring 28 would constitute the only contact between roller and flange substantially as suggested in Fig. 5.

However, should the drawer be fully laden (see Fig. 6),

the ring 28 would be compressed t0 a point such that the load carrying area 23 would Contact the flange of the channel or rail. However, even under this condition, the ring is still in contact with the flange and Provides suicient friction to overcome any tendency for the roller to slide instead of roll, even though the suspension has not been operatedfor some time, or foreign matter has accumulated around the rollers axes or on the channel or rail flanges.

The inclined, radially extending ange 24 of each roller serves to limit lateral play of a drawer during movement from one position to another. In fact, this roller ange constitutes a rolling guard and, even though the channel or rail flange frequently contacts this roller flange, no wear Will occur by reason of the rolling rather than sliding contact. Additionally, this arrangement of guide movement of a drawer precludes the possibility of objectionable noise.

The rollers 18 are of such construction that only four i.

are required for each suspension and yet all four function throughout the full movement of the drawer. When the drawer is in closed position, as shown in Fig. 1, the forward ends of anges 21 are supported by the forward rollers 18, carried by the channels 12. The rear of the drawer is supported by contact of the rail carried rollers with the lower channel ange (see Fig. 4). As the drawer is withdrawn from the cabinet, to approximately the position shown in Fig. 2, the drawer Weight will tilt it forward and downward with the channel rollers 18 acting as a fulcrum and the rear of the drawer will tilt slightly upwardly, thus causing the rail carried rollers to contact and roll along the upper channel anges. Thus, regardless of the weight of the drawer, or its position with respect to the cabinet, the friction rings of all the rollers will contact the anges to a sufcient extent to assure roller rotation.

Although applicant has shown and described only one form of fixed channel and drawer rail, it will fbe evident that modifications of this structure, together with suitable modifications in roller structure may be made in adapting the invention to various uses and that such modifications are contemplated insofar as being within the spirit and scope of the invention insofar as they are set out in the annexed claims.

Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim as new and for which I desire protection by Letters Patent l. A roller interposed between a pair of members relatively movable in the direction of their length, flanges on said members in superposed parallel relationship, said roller serving to transmit the load of one flange to the other and comprising a wide rolling surface, one edge of said surface being defined by'a radial ange engageable with said member lianges and limiting lateral movement of said members during their normal movement, and an elastomeric ring on said surface' remote from said radial flange, said ring assuring rotation of said roller during movement of said members.

2. The combination of a receptacle having channels secured to certain walls thereof and a drawer having attached tracks; with rollers for transmitting the load of said drawer to said channels, each of said rollers comprising a relatively wide load carrying surface, a marginal ange for limiting lateral movement of said channels and tracks during drawer movement, an elastomeric ring seated in an annular groove in said surface located remote from said marginal flange, said ring being proportioned to extend beyond said surface to effect initial contact with said channels and said tracks whereby to assure roller rotation during drawer movement.l

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 645,156 Willits Mar. 13, 1900 1,537,067 Card May l2, 1925 2,149,349 Kilian Mar. 7, 1939 2,318,800 Rakow May 1l, 1943 2,497,224 Laure Feb. 14, 1950 

